


Another Turning Point

by Alexis_Rockford



Series: Fictober 2019: Two Heads Are Better Than One [2]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crossroads, F/M, Fictober, Fictober 2019, Past, Past Relationship(s), Regret, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-26 08:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20927141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexis_Rockford/pseuds/Alexis_Rockford
Summary: When Max and Fidella stop at a crossroad on their way to Vardaros, Eugene is struck by memories of his exploits as Flynn Rider. Can anyone truly leave their past behind?This ficlet was written in response to the Fictober prompt for October 2, 2019: Prompt: “Just follow me, I know the area.”





	Another Turning Point

“Oh, great,” Cassandra muttered. She pulled on the reigns, and the caravan drew to yet another unplanned stop. “A fork in the road.”

The moonroof popped open and Eugene’s head appeared as though he were some sort of wholesomely smouldering jack-in-the-box. “Do my ears deceive me, or did I hear a complaint from the illustrious Lady Cassandra?”

Rapunzel sighed. She had been hoping that the rivalry between her two best friends might be sidelined by the distractions of the road, but it seemed only to have intensified as they left Corona. “Eugene,” she beseeched, pitching the first syllable of his name the way she did when she was irritated with him.

“Ok, ok, I’ll tone down the sass.” He raised his arms defensively in front of his face to ward off the lecture he was sure would follow. “So, what seems to be the problem.”

“This crossroad isn’t on the map,” Cassandra explained, handing the parchment to Eugene for perusal. “Max and Fidella don’t seem to know which way to go either.”

The two horses nickered in response, Max tossing his head in agreement.

The second flap on the caravan roof swung open, and Lance’s bald head came into view. “Why’d we stop again? Please tell me it’s dinnertime.”

Cassandra groaned and looked ready to pummel one or both of the former thieves when Rapunzel interrupted, “Actually, stopping to eat wouldn’t be a bad idea as long as we can find a water source around here.”

Eugene, who hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of the map, handed it back to the driver. As he lowered himself back into the wagon, his penetrating brown eyes scanned the horizon. “Wait a minute,” he began, narrowing his vision in order to improve focus. “I think I know where we are.”

“Really?” Rapunzel’s bright eyes flashed in excitement, and he couldn’t help but smile in response. “That’s great! Is there a stream or river near by?”

“Not exactly near,” he said, stroking his goatee. “But I think I can recall where we might find what we’re looking for.”

“There’s no need for all of us to get lost in the woods,” Cassandra pointed out. “Why don’t you and Raps fetch some water for our supper while we set up camp?”

“Not a bad idea, Cass,” Eugene replied, doing his best to ignore the jab at his sense of direction. “What do you say, Blondie?”

“Next stop, anywhere!” she agreed brightly, jumping down from the front seat.

Warmed by her enthusiasm, he closed the moonroof and exited the caravan by the side door, a cauldron perched on his broad shoulders. “Just follow me,” he coaxed, offering her his other arm as she approached. “I know the area, after all.” He gave Cassandra a pointed look, but she just rolled her eyes. _Or at least I _hope_ I do_, he thought.

Rapunzel fairly glowed, her smile as bright as the Corona sun that they were already starting to miss. “Always,” she whispered, and Eugene felt a wave of affection for her. He shifted the weight of the pot he was carrying, and they headed into the forest.

It wasn’t long before Eugene remembered exactly why it was he knew this area. His former accomplice- and fiancee, if you wanted to get _technical_\- used to escape to these woods when her father was being particularly overbearing. She would sneak out of her bedroom and the two of them would leave the bustling town behind for some alone time. The thing about Vardaros was that it never slept. There was no place to stop and think quietly much less plan a complicated heist, so these woods had been their refuge. If he closed her eyes, he could almost feel her breath in his ear as they whispered their plans to each other. _Stalyan_, he thought wistfully, and then immediately felt guilty. There was no point revisiting the past this way. He had left his conniving co-conspirator at the altar for a reason. They were too much alike, and, on top of that, the old adage rang true: _there is no honor among thieves._ How could he have possibly hoped to make a life with someone he could never completely trust?

Now _Rapunzel_, on the other hand. He turned to look at the lovely young woman beside him. Everything about her stood out in sharp contrast to his memories of Stalyan. It was like the difference between day and night, the sun and the moon. Rapunzel’s face radiated hope, loyalty, and complete devotion, something he had never had with Stalyan. Her wide, innocent emerald eyes were nothing like Stalyan’s calculating steel stare. The more he compared the two of them in his mind’s eye, the more convinced he became that he had made the right choice that day when he had changed the direction in which his life had been headed and carved out a new path for himself. A path that had led him straight to Rapunzel.

The soft babbling of water told him that the creek was nearby. He let go of his sweetheart’s hand for a moment so he could push aside the branches that had sprung across the well-worn trail since he’d last been there. There in the dimming light, the little stream still shone with an iridescent glow.

“It’s beautiful!” Rapunzel breathed as she knelt down on the bank and dipped her hand into the clear water. “What makes it sparkle like that?”

“Some kind of little fish that absorb sunlight during the day and reflect it back at night.”

Rapunzel gasped as one of the tiny fish swam through her fingers. “Aw! They’re so cute!”  
  
Eugene gazed fixedly upon her as if, until this moment, he had been a lost soul in the cold night and was now drawn to the warmest, brightest fire he had ever seen. Her delight in this simple wonder of nature was irresistible, and soon he found himself sitting beside her, pulling her gently into his lap.

She released a startled giggle before relaxing into his embrace. “We’re not far from Vardaros now,” he said softly, brushing her ear with a gentle kiss. “I don’t remember this intersection, but if we turn left when we get back to the caravan--”

While he’d been making this speech, she’d tilted her head back until her lips found his. “Let’s just enjoy the moment, Eugene,” she said breathlessly as she slowly pulled away. “Who knows when we’ll have such another?”

He had a sudden image of himself and Stalyan, sitting in the same spot as they were now. With a shudder, he pulled away.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as he dragged the cauldron into the water.

“Nothing,” he lied, wanting to avoid mentioning his ex for as long as possible. “It’s just…” He paused in his task to sweep the unruly dark hair from his face. She nodded, urging him to continue, and he heaved a gigantic sigh. “Sometimes it’s hard to leave the past behind.” Various scenes of his previous life of crime flashed through his head: Lance robbing a carriage blind while he distracted its occupants with a charming pout and a story about a lost dog; dumping a sack of jewels on a table in front of the Baron’s cruel smile; kissing Stalyan beneath a tree on a twilit night much like this. Would he ever truly escape the shadow of Flynn Rider?

Without his notice, Rapunzel was suddenly beside him, taking his large hand in her small slender one. “At least you _had_ a life before me,” she pointed out. “My life only began the day I met you.” Their eyes locked, and Eugene could feel the tears gathering in his own. “Look, Eugene. The choices you made then, the mistakes, the regrets...none of that matters now. What matters is that everything that happened, all of it, led you here...to me.”

Eugene swallowed over the lump in his throat and nodded. “You’re right, Blondie. You always are.”

She smiled up at him, and he could see his hopeful expression reflected in her dilated pupils. “Well, I wouldn’t say _that_…”

“Too late,” he said with a smirk. “I already did.”

They laughed together before gathering the rest of the water and heading back toward their friends. He had reached a crossroads today, and not just on the road to Vardaros. Just as he had when he left this place all those years ago, he had made a life-altering decision. He had turned to glance backward at all of his yesterdays, the sorrows, the could-have-beens, but in the end, he had faced forward and headed into the future. And who knew what lay ahead of them on their journey? All Eugene cared about was that whatever he faced, he would face it with her. Together.


End file.
